


Get me

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29413788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Ethan and Claire spend their Valentine's day together.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 8





	Get me

„I don’t remember the last time I was so tired.” Claire yawned, walking towards the hospital with her cold hand in Ethan’s warmer one. He shook his head at that, slowing down slightly to match his pace with hers.

“That’s because you refused to go to sleep.” He said it rather matter-of-factly, letting an easy smile pull on the corners of his lips.

“You know that if I didn’t finish those files yesterday, I’d have to work through them today.”

He hummed lowly, squeezing her hand. “And here I was, thinking that you were simply excited for Valentine’s Day.” The corners of his lips sailed even higher when she scoffed, shaking her with mocked annoyance. “You’re right about work, but even people as busy as us need breaks.” The automatic door slid open as they approached it, letting them into the atrium. “Fortunately, we have our ways to distract each other from our daily struggles.”

Bloom Edenbrook was now fully opened, with patients occupying rooms and doctors moving in every direction. Everything was slowly beginning to get back to normal, or, as normal as things could be given the circumstances.

It took some time to get used to the changes, as Leland, being the one in charge, was constantly coming up with new improvements and ideas for the team and the hospital itself. So far, he hasn’t inserted himself into the work of the doctors he employed itself, but some thought that it was only a matter of time before he crossed that bridge.

“Start the coffee machine while I run to the locker room, I need to grab my coat.” Her voice got quiet, distracted by searching her bag blindly to fish out the key to her locker.

“I told you, you could leave it in the office. I brought an extra hanger, it’s waiting for you in the wardrobe.”

“That’s sweet of you.” she slid her arms around his neck, locking her eyes with his . “I’ll start making good use of it.”

Ethan’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. His nose brushed against hers, then their lips pressed together in a gentle kiss.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Claire nodded, turning around one last time to smile at him tenderly, then disappeared behind the corner. Ethan stood there for a moment longer, then moved towards his office. His eyes caught the sight of Leland Bloom, standing near the end of the corridor. Without a doubt, he’s been watching the entire exchange between two doctors, but Ethan couldn’t decipher what was going through the mind of his new boss. His face was impassive, eyes guarded, and he didn’t say a word, just nodded towards Ethan when he passed him on his way.

~

“Let us know if you find anything else.” Ethan concluded the meeting of the team, dismissing it for the time being. Baz was supposed to run an additional test on their patient and get back to them, either confirming or debunking their diagnosis.

Claire reclined in her seat, stretching herself with her hands above her head. She closed her eyes, letting the tranquility of the moment take over her senses. A strong scent of coffee was what brought her out of it.

“Thank goodness for your sacred coffee machine.” She muttered, touching the cup briefly to check its temperature. Ethan sat down next to her, sliding a heart-shaped cookie towards her. “Now that’s incredibly cheesy. Also, incredibly adorable.”

“It’s a little prelude to what’s going to happen later.”

“What’s gonna happen later?” Claire questioned, leaning towards him with a teasing tone to her voice. Ethan shook his head, smirking at her.

“You’re going to have to wait and see.”

She stroked his jaw with her fingers softly, gazing at him with happiness in her eyes, then leaned onto the table slightly. “At least there’s coffee to get me through the day. Even if it is relatively slow.”

“Enjoy the quiet while you can. Interns will be back tomorrow; I can already feel the headache coming.”

She pressed her fingers to his temples, massaging them slowly. “Not all interns are bad.”

“ _Most_ of them are.” He grinned, turning his head to kiss the inside of her wrist. “99% of them.”

“I feel honored to be your 1%.” She flashed him a wide smile that dimmed rather quickly. “If last year was any indicator, I apparently should not have any interns in my care.” Her voice became quiet; so quiet that he couldn’t decide if she was being sarcastic or not, until their eyes met, and he saw remorse in them. “A rite of passage if you will.”

Ethan pulled his chair closer to hers and turned them towards each other to grant himself easier access to her. His hand traced comforting circles over her shoulder blades brushing the back of his fingers along her cheek.

“What happened with Esme isn’t your fault.” He reassured her, their knees pressing together in the confined space between their chairs. “Whatever it is that actually happened. She’s still the only person that actually knows what went down in that room.” He caught her chin gently, keeping their eyes locked. “It wasn’t your fault.” He repeated, with certainty and persistence, then leaned towards her so their foreheads touched. Claire smiled shyly, some tension leaving her posture.

The door to the office opened suddenly, revealing Leland Bloom, his face expression morphing from a confident smile to a blank look of neutrality, just like the one Ethan saw earlier. Two doctors leaned away and stood slowly, greeting their boss.

Claire noticed the way Leland’s eyes insistently jumped between her and Ethan. It was slightly unsettling, for reasons she couldn’t exactly point out, but other than that, there were no other clues that might have suggested what his intentions were.

She looked towards her partner, a silent question passing her eyes. If it wasn’t for him having the same look on his face, she would have thought she was reading into it too much.

But there was clearly something there. Ethan saw it too, and he couldn’t figure the older man out. He had his predictions as to what the aim of Leland’s close inspection was about, and maybe he was pushing his luck, but he decided to check.

Slowly, seemingly absentmindedly, he reached for Claire’s hand, running his thumb over her skin. Like a charm, Leland’s gaze followed the movement, a shadow passing his face.

Once the pair was alone again, they turned towards each other in confusion. Claire looked over her shoulder, staring at the door for a while.

“You saw it too, right?” she asked, twisting back around to face him. He nodded, stepping closer to her. Their fingers were still tangled, both of their gazes trained on their hands.

“It wasn’t the first time, either. I saw him this morning too, right after we separated.”

“I thought he didn’t bring the subject of coworkers dating on the board meeting.” Claire felt a shiver run down her spine at the memories of her second year of residency. Their situation was vastly different at the time compared to what they had now, and they were going steady, but they would both be lying if they said that Leland’s behavior didn’t put them a bit on edge.

“He didn’t. I was convinced he had nothing against it.” he squeezed her hand, then pulled on it to guide her to his side. “Until something else happens, I don’t think we should worry about it.”

“You’re so wise.” She muttered under her breath, standing on the tips of her toes, kissing his neck.

“Stop with the compliments or they’ll go to my head.” Ethan’s voice was colored with a smile, all the remaining tension leaving his body.

“I’m pretty sure they already did.” her retaliation wasn’t left without an answer, his arm pressing her onto him, tickling her side. Their laughter slowly died down, leaving them in a warm embrace. 

“Our coffees will get cold.” Claire whispered, passing her fingers through his hair to brush it back. He nodded, letting her go so they could sit back down and enjoy a moment of peace.

~

“Dr. Herondale!” Caroline’s voice reached her ears from behind her. She turned around, coming face to face with the woman. She hasn’t seen her in a long time and while appearance-wise she hasn’t changed much, her demeanor was significantly different. Since the diagnosis, she’s become more reserved in her movements, visibly concerned with who was coming near her.

Claire understood that. While Caroline’s lived her whole life without encountering IgA, which allowed her to avoid the allergic reaction, she also had no idea she had the said allergy. Now that she knew, it’s made her hyperaware of everything around her. It became especially apparent when her husband was near her. Their carefulness around each other was painful to watch; a feeling which was only amplified by sadness, written all over their faces.

“Mrs. Bloom, what can I do for you.” Claire smiled gently, pressing the chart she was holding to her chest. Caroline nodded towards the cafeteria.

“Leland’s running a bit late. We’re going out to dinner.” She explained, a dimmed sparkle lighting up her eyes slightly. “Would you mind keeping me company?”

“How about we grab a cup of tea in the doctor’s lounge? It’s more peaceful there.”

The two women walked slowly towards their destination, conversing loosely. Once they both sat down on the couch in the lounge, Claire’s mind pushed forward an idea to resolve her uncertainty about Leland’s behavior the best way possible – by talking to the woman sitting next to her.

“Mrs. Bloom-“

“I think it’s perfectly fine for us to call each other by first names.”

“Caroline.” Claire tested the name, watching how Caroline’s face lit up friendly. “I was wondering if you could help me make sense of something that I noticed happening today with your husband.” She started, rushing to reassure the older woman when a surprised shadow appeared on her face. “It’s nothing bad. Or, at least, I hope it isn’t.”

“I’ll try to be as helpful as I can be, Claire. What is it?” Caroline nodded, taking a sip out of her cup as she waited for the young doctor to speak her mind. Deciding to just go for it, Claire took a deep breath and started.

“As you probably know, Dr. Ramsey… Ethan and I… we’re in a relationship. A happy one if I do say so myself.” She laughed, her good humor influencing Caroline’s mood, both of them smiling widely at this point. “We waited for a long time to see where it would take us, mostly because of the fact that we were coworkers. After Mr. Bloom took over Edenbrook, we were under the impression that we should have nothing to worry about, as there were no rules introduced that were against coworkers being romantically involved.”

“Leland talked to me about that and I can assure you no such rule exists or is about to be introduced.” Caroline extended her hand towards Claire, hesitated for a moment, then patted her back. “I can see something else is worrying you.”

“The reason why I’m even bringing up this subject in the first place is because both Ethan and I noticed Mr. Bloom being seemingly upset with the two of us. I was wondering if maybe you could help me understand what’s happening?”

Mrs. Bloom’s face was stoic for a long moment as she considered the question. A flash of sadness struck her expression, and it remained that way when she finally began explaining.

“I don’t think he’s upset with the two of you.” she began, sending the younger woman a reassuring look. “It’s been hard on both of us to keep our distance because of our conditions, and while we both understand why we _can’t_ be in close proximity with each other, it doesn’t mean that we don’t want to. I think seeing anyone being able to touch their significant other, even if it’s just a simple touch of a hand, is reminding him of what we lost, at least for now.”

“I- haven’t thought of it like that. It makes so much sense now that I think about it.” Claire twisted her fingers uncomfortably, remembering all the times in which she saw Leland and Caroline going in for a hug and then sliding away from each other at the very last moment as they remembered that they couldn’t be doing it anymore. A spike of cold pierced through her at the memory of the isolation room, a thick layer of plastic between Ethan and her.

“It’s also Valentine’s Day, he’s most likely been exposed to an over-the-top amount of affection all around him.” Caroline added, trying not to sound too upset about her current situation. Claire nodded, turning her head fully towards her.

“Thank you so much for talking to me.”

“I’m glad I could help you.”

~

Ethan sat by the table in his living room, waiting for Claire to get home. After her talk with Caroline, they knew what they were standing on and the tension left them for good. Aware of the situation, they refrained from massive displays of affection when they knew their boss was around. That, in turn, meant that they focused on their work and generally abandoned the subject of love for the time being, and _that_ meant that, as much as Ethan would like to try and deny it, he couldn’t wait for her to come home.

‘ _I’ve been thinking of you in a tux for the whole day.’_ She said in one of her texts, followed by an emoji that not so subtly implied which direction her thoughts went into. So, naturally, he was now dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark pants, the jacket thrown over the back of his chair. He rolled up his sleeves a while back when he got too hot while cooking dinner.

“I have the sexiest partner in the whole universe.” Claire’s voice reached him from the entrance to his apartment as the door behind her closed. Their eyes locked in an intense stare, neither of them doing anything. Deciding that she’s had enough of waiting after the day they both had, she went ahead with the first move. She abandoned her bag and shoes, then reached for the belt to her jeans and undid the clasp hastily. Throwing it to the side, she reached for the hem of her sweater, rising the material slowly, then slipping it over her head and letting it fall to the ground.

Ethan observed her with untamed curiosity, desire pooling in his eyes as his pupils dilated. He tried to grasp each patch of skin she uncovered, her body barely clothed by the top of her lingerie, one he hasn’t seen before. Before he could even move a finger, she popped the button of her jeans and slowly dragged them down her legs, leaving her in the flimsy piece of lace that left barely anything to his imagination.

And his imagination was getting more and more adventurous by the second. At this point, he was so bewitched with her that she could ask him to do just about anything, and he would bring the world to her on the silver platter.

Her clothes left a trail behind her, one that stopped in the middle of the living room. The remainder of the way, she walked slowly, her hips dipping from side to side, hypnotizing him with their sway. Ethan wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was staring, swallowing her with his eyes. His hands itched to grab her and push her onto the closest surface they could find, taking her with fervor and hunger that’s been building up for a little under a week.

“I was about to say the very same thing.” he muttered, making his thoughts come to life when she was close enough for him to press his hands to her thighs and bring her even closer. “Got you.” His lips attached to her stomach, kissing it warmly as his fingers traveled upwards, cupping her backside and squeezing it teasingly.

Claire ran her fingers through his hair, smirking at the evident effect she had on him, taking away all his focus with just a few of her layers of clothes gone. The rolled-up sleeves of his shirt did things to her, like they always did, distracting her, no matter where they were or what they were doing.

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment…” she muttered, turning around to walk towards the bedroom. Ethan, however, wouldn’t let her get nearly as far as she thought he would, his hand wrapping around her wrist and stopping her in her tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I need to get myself a robe. You cooked dinner, it would be a shame to let it go to waste.” She explained, shooting him a teasing smile, then slid her hand from his grasp, their fingers brushing softly.

She came back a minute later, covered in a translucent piece of material, somehow making his blood run in his veins even faster. Resisting the urge to trail his hands all over her body for now, he walked to the kitchen, fetching their plates.

They ate in relative silence, with Ethan unable to focus on much else than all the things he would do to her once they were done. He cleared the table, carrying a lavish bouquet of red roses back to her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” He muttered, watching how her eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite flowers. Once they were safely deposited on the table, he reached for the box that remained hidden from the view up until now. Claire looked up at him curiously, raising her eyebrow at him. “It’s a little something that you can always have with you. If you want, that is.”

He presented her with a necklace made up entirely of pearls, their soft glow inviting her to touch them. She glanced up at him, asking if he could help her put it on, turning around.

Ethan placed the jewelry upon her skin, the tips of his fingers grazing her skin as he fixed the clasp. He trailed his hands over her shoulders with featherlight touches until they reached her hands. Before her fingers tangled in his, she turned around, bringing his hands to her lips with hers so she could kiss them.

“Thank you.” she muttered, letting go of his fingers so she could grab his face in between her palms and haul him onto her. Their lips crashed with bruising force as her nails scratched the sides of his neck and his shoulders. She managed to whimper in between kisses. “It’s beautiful.”

“I think we should put it back into the box.” Ethan suggested, undoing the clasp again, not without difficulty. “I don’t want to damage it, and you make me reckless with how much I want you.”

“I think I agree.” They set the box aside, turning towards each other once more. Grinning widely, they took their time, ridding each other of the remaining clothes while slowly making their way towards the bedroom.

“How great of a job do you think the pearls will do at covering up the marks I plan on leaving on you?” he questioned, sucking on the side of her neck immediately after. Her breath faltered, fingers grasping his hair tighter at once.

“Only one way to find out.”


End file.
